The Relationship Between Attitudes Toward Postgraduate Education and Scientific Research Competency Among Graduate Nursing Students: A Cross-sectional Study
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Objective: This study aimed to examine the relationship between graduate nursing students’ attitudes toward postgraduate education and their scientific research competency. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 418 students enrolled in graduate nursing programs across Türkiye. A snowball sampling method was used. Inclusion criteria were being enrolled in a master’s or doctoral nursing program and voluntarily agreeing to participate, while exclusion criteria included incomplete responses and non-enrollment in a graduate program. Data were collected online between December 2024 and August 2025 using the Student Information Form, the Postgraduate Education Attitude Scale, and the Scientific Research Competency Scale. Results: The mean score for attitudes toward postgraduate education was 49.07±10.31, indicating a moderate level, while the mean score for scientific research competency was 216.78±41.47, indicating a competent level. A low-level significant negative correlation was found between overall attitude toward postgraduate education and scientific research competency (r=-0.215, p<0.05). Similarly, negative correlations were observed between valuing postgraduate education (r=-0.281, p<0.05) and attaching importance to education (r=-0.235, p<0.05) with scientific research competency. In contrast, resistance to postgraduate education showed a low positive correlation (r=0.128, p<0.05). A moderate negative correlation was found between the “attitude and behaviours” subdimension of scientific research competency and the “valuing postgraduate education” subdimension of the attitude scale (r=-0.340, p<0.05). Conclusion: The findings indicate that the relationships between scientific research competency and attitudes toward postgraduate education among graduate nursing students are predominantly negative. As research competency increases, positive attitudes toward postgraduate education appear to decrease in some dimensions. These results highlight the need for comprehensive, structured, and sustainable educational strategies that jointly promote both scientific research competency and academic attitudes in graduate nursing education.
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7204263227